NFL lineman getting himself, others in shape at his Scottsdale gym

Evan Mathis isn't ready to call this his new career, but he's got a great backup plan for after his NFL days end.

The former University of Alabama offensive lineman, who played last season with the Cincinnati Bengals and will be a free agent once the lockout ends, owns a gym in the Scottsdale Airpark area.

Zone Athletic Performance is a 13,000-square-foot workout facility that features state-of-the-art, outside-the-box equipment, a 45-yard turf field, five personal trainers (including two for boot camps) and a chiropractor, Andrew Chavkin.

Since starting the club last winter, Mathis, listed at 6-foot-5, 302 pounds last season, also has made great use of it, cutting his body fat in half and feeling like he is in the best shape of his life.

There are before and after pictures on the gym's website that, he said, "look like doctored photos, but they're real results."

Mathis has been spending much of his days in the gym, whether it's answering the phone or pumping iron and increasing his quickness and strength with cutting-edge workouts supervised by his club's lead trainer, Garrett Shinoskie.

"He's put me through an incredible transformation this off-season," said Mathis, who played little last season after coming back from an injury with the Bengals. "My strength has increased tremendously. Everything that I need to do to become a better athlete, I've been doing.

"I'm in almost Week 21 of training now. The physical transformation stands out."

Mathis said his gym at 15820 N. 84th St., Suite 100 is open to anybody, from high-school athletes to pro, from people wanting to shed pounds or build muscle to those looking to improve their athletic performance.

"Our target market is very broad," Mathis said.

Mathis fell in love with the area in 2005 when he was trained by Chad Ikei at his Scottsdale club to prepare for the NFL Combine.

Last spring, he and Zone Athletic Performance General Manager Brian Armstrong scouted the area for a place to run a workout facility. They found a warehouse in the Scottsdale Airpark off Frank Lloyd Wright and Hayden.

"We put our vision out there, and built it to suit our needs," Mathis said.

There has been little marketing. Most of the clientele found out about it through word of mouth, Mathis said.

"We stand by our product, which is results," he said.

Recently, boot camp training (33 classes a week) has been implemented. There is something for everyone, Mathis said. The local pro athletes are taking advantage.

"With the (NFL) lockout, and these guys having nowhere to report to train, those guys looking for that structure can come here," Mathis said. "Our Number 1 product is one-on-one personal training, where we have a program based specifically for you, based on multiple factors, as far as your goals, your schedule, your body type."

Mathis, a six-year NFL veteran, has been a self-professed gym rat since his high school days in Birmingham, Ala.

He is also an aspiring filmmaker who, during his Alabama career, filmed a 'Saturday Night Live'-style comedy sketch in which he played then-head coach Dennis Franchione that was shown during a team meeting - to the approval of Franchione.

He was hoping to film a documentary about the NFL lockout, trying to raise funds via kickstarter.com. But he said "we didn't come close to funding it, so I scratched the project and put all my focus into the gym."

Making Scottsdale his off-season home, Mathis ideally would like to play for the Cardinals, especially after their left guard, Alan Faneca, retired.

"I'm a left guard, and their left guard just retired, opening up my position and my jersey number (66)," Mathis said.